A soft, golden glow spread across the sky, dispelling the darkness of the night. The coolness of the evening gave way to a growing warmth, and the air took on a refreshing clarity that invigorated the senses. Tian Hua left his dwelling to take it all in: the landscape, the greenery… the temple.
During the day, the temple appeared deceptively tranquil. The temple’s architecture boasted elegant simplicity, with sweeping roofs that curved gracefully upwards, adorned by intricate dragon carvings and vivid, colorful tiles. Some parts of the walls were marred by cracks, though the building itself was not as deteriorated as the others in the courtyard.
Tian Hua marveled at its beauty regardless of the state of disrepair it was in. Seeing something like this in his era was hard enough, given how most of the historical structures were destroyed to make space for newer ones.
He pushed the creaky, wooden door open, flinching once he faced the chamber he had seen just hours ago, fully expecting for something to lunge at him—that being from last night. The one staring at him through the blackness, smiling, unmoving…
Tian Hua chuckled to himself the moment he met the eyes of the ‘menacing creature.’
A statue.
I was scared to death by a statue, Tian Hua could almost feel the tips of his ears redden. I’ve become surprisingly more sensitive since retiring early…
Cobwebs clung to every surface and dust motes danced in the dim light. The once-polished marble floors were chipped and uneven. Candle sconces along the walls stood empty and desolate, their candles long extinguished. Tian Hua looked at the small interior, empty apart from a statue depicting a man with long hair. The figure was tall and dignified, with a flowing robe that seemed to cascade around his form. His eyes, though stone-cold, were curved in half-moons, with a gentle grin stretched on his lips. A crack, however, ran straight through the middle of his face.
This just does not inspire reverence. I wonder if I can donate this thing away…
As he inspected the statue lost in his thoughts, a knock on the door startled him back to reality.
“Ah… I apologize,” Xiang Jun bowed at the entrance. “Do you, perhaps, remember this place, Teacher?”
“No,” Tian Hua shook his head and faced the statue once again. “I was only looking around.”
No matter how much he stared at it, Tian Hua could only see the statue mockingly smile at him. It was rather strange, anyways; in his own era, he had never heard of people from ancient times worshiping gods. They were much too preoccupied with their own selves to do such a thing. Was this a local deity?
“That’s the Sovereign of the Lands,” explained Xiang Jun patiently. “You told us this temple used to be open to the people to pray here.”
“I see.”
Sovereign of the Lands? Now that I think about it, this definitely came up when I was browsing the forums. What else did I read about him? Agh, why can’t I remember?
Xiang Jun nervously glanced at his master’s rigid back and continued, “W, well, Senior Brother Yang told me the temple was open for only a few days in your absence. And not many people showed up! You do not have the best reputation in the village…”
Tian Hua remained as still as the statue.
“N, n, not that it matters! The folk are uneducated and… they believe in prejudice more than they should! But there are people who adore you, Teacher!”
“Was this man’s name Liu Xingchen?” Tian Hua interrupted and pointed at the statue.
Xiang Jun wiped his forehead. “Yes…”
He hummed. There was not much information he could recall about Liu Xingchen, but his name was passed around the forums often. He was admired by literally every user. It figures, when there’s a statue of him even here, in the middle of nowhere.
Tian Hua rubbed his chin and turned to Xiang Jun. “As a Sovereign of the Lands, what does he do?”
“Um, I don’t know much about him, either, but from what my parents used to read to me when I was younger, the Sovereign of the Lands is kind, and, um, helps everyone? There was this one story that every child is told, about how the Sovereign of the Lands comes to you in the form of a bird when you are going through a rough patch, but… I don’t believe that,” he chuckled and scratched his neck.
Tian Hua paused, feeling awkward at the mention of Xiang Jun’s parents. The original host of this body did buy all three of them from a trafficker. Were they kidnapped from their families? Or were they sold by their own flesh and blood? These questions hung heavy on the tip of his tongue, but Tian Hua thought this was a delicate subject and refrained from asking.
Tian Hua coughed lightly. “Can you show me around?”
A relieved expression washed over Xiang Jun’s features. “Yes!”
Just what happened for him to end up being trafficked?
. . . . .
Tian Hua strolled around with Xiang Jun, the disciple describing a bit about every fairly interesting object in the courtyard and Tian Hua responding with a distant nod, his mind still stuck on Xiang Jun’s words. He doesn’t believe that? That as in Liu Xingchen not visiting you in the form of a bird or… not coming to your aid when you need him the most? Or the story itself?
Tian Hua cast a glance at the youth, wondering what his backstory was. Why didn’t the posts he read on Starnet throw light on their personal lives before becoming renowned warriors? What took place before they had met Tian Hua?
Before long, they reached the same, rounded rock next to the temple, concluding the end of the short tour Xiang Jun did for his master. Tian Hua furrowed his brows and craned his neck to look past the willows behind the temple and caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a pond.
“We haven’t been there yet,” Tian Hua jerked his head at the willows.
Xiang Jun immediately wavered, his lips shaking as he darted his sight from the pond to his master and back, repeating this awkward action a few more times.
“There… There’s…” he sputtered. “Um… Senior Brother Yang….”
“Is Yang Junchen there?” Tian Hua tried to make sense of his words.
Xiang Jun nodded and Tian Hua, curious as to why the boy was reacting in such a manner, walked carefully and stood behind a willow to gaze at the pond, its surface reflecting the azure sky above. Its edges were lined with smooth, rounded pebbles. A harmonious blend of koi fish were gliding gracefully beneath the shimmering surface of the water.
He then noticed Yang Junchen engrossed in his training by the body of water with a stick long enough to be a sword. His hair was tied in a simple knot at the back, allowing his focus to remain undisturbed.
His feet seemed to barely touch the ground as he glided effortlessly, following the intricate patterns of his martial form. His body moved like a coiled serpent, fluid and deliberate.
“I’m not that close with Senior Brother Yang,” a meek voice spoke from behind. “And he hates being interrupted when he’s training. He always wakes up before dawn and he’s so serious about his training… I wanted him to teach me a move or two, but he always refuses.”
Xiang Jun stood behind Tian Hua, making sure he could not be noticed by Yang Junchen, and kept his voice low enough to not be heard.
“He looks experienced enough to be the disciple of a bigger sect,” Tian Hua mumbled to himself.
Even though Tian Hua had never been taught martial arts in his own world, he had seen some of his friends during their training sessions. The differences between them and Yang Junchen were that his skill far surpassed theirs, and he could harness Qi in battle.
Now that he thought back on when he had first arrived at the sect, Xiang Jun appeared relieved to have brought Tian Hua back. Long Xinyue looked betrayed, disappointed and one second away from strangling the life out of her master—which, yikes, he hoped would never happen. But, what about Yang Junchen?
He seemed… unaffected? But, he did get surprised when I told them I have amnesia. He mused as his eyes followed Yang Junchen’s stabbing motions. Or more like mildly inconvenienced. Either way, regardless of my being here or not, it wouldn’t matter to him that much.
What of Yang Junchen’s past, then? If Xiang Jun’s was supposed to be tear-jerking, then what about his?
With a final breath, Yang Junchen released a burst of energy that sent leaves swirling into the air and momentarily disrupted the pond’s placid surface. Tian Hua raised his eyebrows—Yang Junchen must have already reached the Intermediate Qi Gathering Stage. That’s a feat. With how skillful Yang Junchen was, it wouldn’t be too late until he broke through the Late Qi Gathering Stage.
And that’s a problem for me! Tian Hua felt nauseous. What if one day he wants to kill me? I really ought to start cultivating myself…
As Yang Junchen was wiping the sweat gathered on his brow, he coincidentally met Tian Hua’s eyes. Without so much of a hitch, he bowed and lifted his stick to train once more.
He’s diligent, isn’t he? Maybe waaay too diligent for my liking.
The moment Tian Hua turned to walk away, Xiang Jun was already scurrying to the temple. He halted his steps and looked back at Yang Junchen. The disciple was already in his own bubble, his gaze locked on an invisible opponent only he could see. What was Xiang Jun so afraid of?
Well, knowing his personality, he probably pestered Yang Junchen to teach him and managed to annoy him… And that maybe ended pretty ugly…?
“There you are!” A sharp, girly voice resounded from somewhere behind. It was Long Xinyue. “Your food is cold. Where were you?”
“I was giving Teacher a tour,” his tone turned sheepish again.
A long pause where Tian Hua assumed Long Xinyue gave his back a black look, but he had never shifted his eyes from Yang Junchen to see it for himself. Holding a conversation with Xiang Jun, or even Yang Junchen, was much easier than being in Long Xinyue’s suffocating presence. He would deal with her later, when he had a better grasp of her personality. Perhaps then Tian Hua could attempt to mollify her.
It was worth a try.
“Let’s go back and eat.”
He heard some faint shuffling and their steps becoming more and more distant. Despite Tian Hua’s rumbling stomach, he remained rooted there, next to the willow, watching Yang Junchen’s display of power with masked interest. How great would it be to learn a thing or two from his disciple? Yet, he was acutely aware of the immense gap between them in terms of confidence, discipline, and strength. Swordsmanship and martial arts had never been his passions; he had always preferred the solace of a library or his room for study.
As time passed, he found himself growing increasingly bored, and his attention began to drift toward the pond, where koi fish happily swam, and to the pots of plants placed just a bit away from the edge, basking in the shade of a willow tree.
Wait a sec… Plants? Tian Hua’s curiosity was piqued and he approached the pots.
He kneeled in front of them and, with one look, his shoulders slumped.
Yang Dandelions. I mean, I can work with that, but still, keeping them under the willow and so close to water could be damaging for them. Having this idea in mind, Tian Hua carried several of the pots along with him on his journey back to the entrance of his dwelling, where he left them to soak up the sun’s warmth. Then, he returned to the other pots and began the task of carefully removing a bundle of withered leaves, a sight so unusual that even Yang Junchen paused his training to cast a curious glance in his direction.
On the other hand, Tian Hua was a bit horrified. Why were some of the dandelions withered? Bodies of water were considered Yin sources, but usually water could at most hinder their growth, not wither the dandelions. The pond also didn’t hold much Yin energy, else the koi fish inside the water would have long since perished.
So, the Yin isn’t the problem? Is it because they were left under this willow for a long time? But it’s not like Yang Dandelions need a lot of sun. They’re among the easiest plants to grow.
Tian Hua rose to his feet and looked over the pond with a solemn expression. Then, with a fresh Yang Dandelion leaf, he walked to the pond’s edge and dipped the leaf in water.
Nothing.
“Huh…” His mind was filled with question marks.
